Means and covariance functions for geostatistical compositional data: an axiomatic approach

This work focuses on the characterization of the central tendency of a sample of compositional data. It provides new results about theoretical properties of means and covariance functions for compositional data, with an axiomatic perspective. Original results that shed new light on the geostatistical modeling of compositional data are presented. As a first result, it is shown that the weighted arithmetic mean is the only central tendency characteristic satisfying a small set of axioms, namely continuity, reflexivity and marginal stability. Moreover, this set of axioms also implies that the weights must be identical for all parts of the composition. This result has deep consequences on the spatial multivariate covariance modeling of compositional data. In a geostatistical setting, it is shown as a second result that the proportional model of covariance functions (i.e., the product of a covariance matrix and a single correlation function) is the only model that provides identical kriging weights for all components of the compositional data. As a consequence of these two results, the proportional model of covariance function is the only covariance model compatible with reflexivity and marginal stability

Reaction rates and transport in neutron stars

Understanding signals from neutron stars requires knowledge about the transport inside the star. We review the transport properties and the underlying reaction rates of dense hadronic and quark matter in the crust and the core of neutron stars and point out open problems and future directions.Comment: 74 pages; commissioned for the book "Physics and Astrophysics of Neutron Stars", NewCompStar COST Action MP1304; version 3: minor changes, references updated, overview graphic added in the introduction, improvements in Sec IV.A.

Preferred response of the East Asian summer monsoon to local and non-local anthropogenic sulphur dioxide emissions

In this study, the atmospheric component of a state-of-the-art climate model (HadGEM2-ES) that includes earth system components such as interactive chemistry and eight species of tropospheric aerosols considering aerosol direct, indirect, and semi-direct effects, has been used to investigate the impacts of local and non-local emissions of anthropogenic sulphur dioxide on the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). The study focuses on the fast responses (including land surface feedbacks, but without sea surface temperature feedbacks) to sudden changes in emissions from Asia and Europe. The initial responses, over days 1–40, to Asian and European emissions show large differences. The response to Asian emissions involves a direct impact on the sulphate burden over Asia, with immediate consequences for the shortwave energy budget through aerosol–radiation and aerosol–cloud interactions. These changes lead to cooling of East Asia and a weakening of the EASM. In contrast, European emissions have no significant impact on the sulphate burden over Asia, but they induce mid-tropospheric cooling and drying over the European sector. Subsequently, however, this cold and dry anomaly is advected into Asia, where it induces atmospheric and surface feedbacks over Asia and the Western North Pacific (WNP), which also weaken the EASM. In spite of very different perturbations to the local aerosol burden in response to Asian and European sulphur dioxide emissions, the large scale pattern of changes in land–sea thermal contrast, atmospheric circulation and local precipitation over East Asia from days 40 onward exhibits similar structures, indicating a preferred response, and suggesting that emissions from both regions likely contributed to the observed weakening of the EASM. Cooling and drying of the troposphere over Asia, together with warming and moistening over the WNP, reduces the land–sea thermal contrast between the Asian continent and surrounding oceans. This leads to high sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies over Asia and low SLP anomalies over the WNP, associated with a weakened EASM. In response to emissions from both regions warming and moistening over the WNP plays an important role and determines the time scale of the response

Azimuthal Charged-Particle Correlations and Possible Local Strong Parity Violation

Parity-odd domains, corresponding to nontrivial topological solutions of the QCD vacuum, might be created during relativistic heavy-ion collisions. These domains are predicted to lead to charge separation of quarks along the system’s orbital momentum axis. We investigate a three-particle azimuthal correlator which is a P even observable, but directly sensitive to the charge separation effect. We report measurements of charged hadrons near center-of-mass rapidity with this observable in Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at √sNN=200  GeV using the STAR detector. A signal consistent with several expectations from the theory is detected. We discuss possible contributions from other effects that are not related to parity violation

Short-Lived Trace Gases in the Surface Ocean and the Atmosphere

The two-way exchange of trace gases between the ocean and the atmosphere is important for both the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere and the biogeochemistry of the oceans, including the global cycling of elements. Here we review these exchanges and their importance for a range of gases whose lifetimes are generally short compared to the main greenhouse gases and which are, in most cases, more reactive than them. Gases considered include sulphur and related compounds, organohalogens, non-methane hydrocarbons, ozone, ammonia and related compounds, hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Finally, we stress the interactivity of the system, the importance of process understanding for modeling, the need for more extensive field measurements and their better seasonal coverage, the importance of inter-calibration exercises and finally the need to show the importance of air-sea exchanges for global cycling and how the field fits into the broader context of Earth System Science

Heterochromatin and the molecular mechanisms of 'parent-of-origin' effects in animals.

Twenty five years ago it was proposed that conserved components of constitutive heterochromatin assemble heterochromatinlike complexes in euchromatin and this could provide a general mechanism for regulating heritable (cell-to-cell) changes in gene expressibility. As a special case, differences in the assembly of heterochromatin-like complexes on homologous chromosomes might also regulate the parent-of-origin-dependent gene expression observed in placental mammals. Here, the progress made in the intervening period with emphasis on the role of heterochromatin and heterochromatin-like complexes in parent-of-origin effects in animals is reviewed

Prevalence of variations in melanoma susceptibility genes among Slovenian melanoma families

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Two high-risk genes have been implicated in the development of CM (cutaneous melanoma). Germline mutations of the CDKN2A gene are found in < 25% of melanoma-prone families and there are only seven families with mutation of the <it>CDK4 </it>gene reported to date. Beside those high penetrance genes, certain allelic variants of the <it>MC1R </it>gene modify the risk of developing the disease.</p> <p>The aims of our study were: to determine the prevalence of germline <it>CDKN2A </it>mutations and variants in members of families with familial CM and in patients with multiple primary CM; to search for possible <it>CDK4 </it>mutations, and to determine the frequency of variations in the <it>MC1R </it>gene.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From January 2001 until January 2007, 64 individuals were included in the study. The group included 28 patients and 7 healthy relatives belonging to 25 families, 26 patients with multiple primary tumors and 3 children with CM. Additionally 54 healthy individuals were included as a control group. Mutations and variants of the melanoma susceptibility genes were identified by direct sequencing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seven families with CDKN2A mutations were discovered (7/25 or 28.0%). The L94Q mutation found in one family had not been previously reported in other populations. The D84N variant, with possible biological impact, was discovered in the case of patient without family history but with multiple primary CM. Only one mutation carrier was found in the control group. Further analysis revealed that c.540C>T heterozygous carriers were more common in the group of CM patients and their healthy relatives (11/64 vs. 2/54). One p14ARF variant was discovered in the control group and no mutations of the <it>CDK4 </it>gene were found.</p> <p>Most frequently found variants of the <it>MC1R </it>gene were T314T, V60L, V92M, R151C, R160W and R163Q with frequencies slightly higher in the group of patients and their relatives than in the group of controls, but the difference was statistically insignificant.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study has shown high prevalence of p16INK4A mutations in Slovenian population of familial melanoma patients (37%) and an absence of p14ARF or <it>CDK4 </it>mutations.</p

Homogenized stiffness matrices for mineralized collagen fibrils and lamellar bone using unit cell finite element models

Mineralized collagen fibrils have been usually analyzed like a two phase composite material where crystals are considered as platelets that constitute the reinforcement phase. Different models have been used to describe the elastic behavior of the material. In this work, it is shown that, when Halpin-Tsai equations are applied to estimate elastic constants from typical constituent properties, not all crystal dimensions yield a model that satisfy thermodynamic restrictions. We provide the ranges of platelet dimensions that lead to positive definite stiffness matrices. On the other hand, a finite element model of a mineralized collagen fibril unit cell under periodic boundary conditions is analyzed. By applying six canonical load cases, homogenized stiffness matrices are numerically calculated. Results show a monoclinic behavior of the mineralized collagen fibril. In addition, a 5-layer lamellar structure is also considered where crystals rotate in adjacent layers of a lamella. The stiffness matrix of each layer is calculated applying Lekhnitskii transformations and a new finite lement model under periodic boundary conditions is analyzed to calculate the homogenized 3D anisotropic stiffness matrix of a unit cell of lamellar bone. Results are compared with the rule-of-mixtures showing in general good agreement.The authors acknowledge the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad the financial support given through the project DPI2010-20990 and the Generalitat Valenciana through the Programme Prometeo 2012/023. The authors thank Ms. Carla Gonzalez Carrillo by her help in the development of some of the numerical models.Vercher Martínez, A.; Giner Maravilla, E.; Arango Villegas, C.; Tarancón Caro, JE.; Fuenmayor Fernández, FJ. (2014). Homogenized stiffness matrices for mineralized collagen fibrils and lamellar bone using unit cell finite element models. 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Differential Expressions of Adhesive Molecules and Proteases Define Mechanisms of Ovarian Tumor Cell Matrix Penetration/Invasion

Epithelial ovarian cancer is an aggressive and deadly disease and understanding its invasion mechanisms is critical for its treatment. We sought to study the penetration/invasion of ovarian tumor cells into extracellular matrices (ECMs) using a fibroblast-derived three-dimensional (3D) culture model and time-lapse and confocal imaging. Twelve ovarian tumor cells were evaluated and classified into distinct groups based on their ECM remodeling phenotypes; those that degraded the ECM (represented by OVCAR5 cells) and those that did not (represented by OVCAR10 cells). Cells exhibiting a distinct ECM modifying behavior were also segregated by epithelial- or mesenchymal-like phenotypes and uPA or MMP-2/MMP-9 expression. The cells, which presented epithelial-like phenotypes, penetrated the ECM using proteases and maintained intact cell-cell interactions, while cells exhibiting mesenchymal phenotypes modified the matrices via Rho-associated serine/threonine kinase (ROCK) in the absence of apparent cell-cell interactions. Overall, this study demonstrates that different mechanisms of modifying matrices by ovarian tumor cells may reflect heterogeneity among tumors and emphasize the need to systematically assess these mechanisms to better design effective therapies